The Secret of Success Lies in Self
Journey of success takes full circle – it starts from Self and ends in Self
By Mukesh Sharma
“What is the secret of success Sir”, asked one of the disciples of the great teacher and philosopher Socrates. ‘Come tomorrow’, answered Socrates. “I will let you know the secret of success.” The next day, the disciple presented himself again. Socrates took him to a river nearby. Both stepped into the river water and started wading through the water towards the middle. When both were in neck-deep water, Socrates halted and put his hand on the head of the disciple and pushed it inside the water. After holding it for two minutes inside the water, Socrates released the head. Gasping for breath, the disciple popped up his head and was panting heavily. “Are you okay” asked Socrates. “How did you feel inside the water”. “I” the disciple stuttered. “I was dying for breath sir”. “So” said Socrates with a smile. “Here is the answer to your question”. “If one dies for success in the same way as you were for breath inside the water, one must get success.”
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| The Secret of Success Lies in Self |
It’s a fact when success becomes the sole purpose of life, it doesn’t keep away from its aspirant longer. Sooner or later, it embraces him/her.
Mind you, there is no ‘road’ to success. Each success-seeker has to make his/her own road. There are no set rules to win success. Each candidate has to make own rules and observe it. There is no teacher to teach success. One has to be one’s own teacher.
The size, shape and form of success are different for different people. To a young love-sick man, his love-lady may be a success; to a woman, being an independent career woman may be a success; to lesser souls, a secured government service may be a success; to enterprising people, own flourishing business may be a success; to likes of Amitabh Bachchan acting may be a success; to likes of Sachin Tendulkar, being a top cricketer may be a success; to a neta, CM/PM chair may be a success, and the story of success goes on differently for different people.
Like hunger and sex, success is also insatiable. Success succeeds success - fulfillment of one success creates hunger for the another.
The road to success may be long or even endless depending upon the form of success and the success- seeker. Nevertheless, all types of success, inevitably, begin from Self and essentially through Society and ones Country, reach the World. Out of millions, a few like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking reach at the threshold of universe. And in ages, a few blessed like Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and Nank Jump all the barriers and reach the depth of the universe and become one with the universe – the inexplicable and incomprehensible regime of God.
Since journey of success starts from Self only, it is imperative to know thyself - all the aspects of self:
1. Know your material
A potter knows his stuff very well and gives it different shapes and size accordingly. If one inherently feels that one is IAS/IPS material, go for it without hesitation. At an early age,Virat Kholi knew he was cricket material, and today he is a skipper of Indian team. Jeff Bozos knew he was business material, and today he is the richest man in the world. None can guide better than natural instincts and traits. A rat knows it can make hole in the mountain. Listen to inner voice. Follow it passionately. One succeeds like success in the field of one’s choice. Tragedy with the unsuccessful people is the most of them are misplaced.
2. Know your weakness and strength
Make weakness your strength and your strength an asset. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he made his good physics an asset – succeeded as Mr. Universe, shot to fame with many successful movies and later joined politics too, and ended up as an Hon’ble Governor of California (US).
3. Set your goal dream
With an eye on your stuff and your strength and weakness, capabilities and abilities, set a goal of your dream. Caution: don’t be a day-dreamer who dreams during day time to have fulfilled his dream with no effort. Such people are a failure. Don’t be a night-dreamer either who forgets the dream at the break of the day. Be a goal dreamer who stays up wide awake day and night. And at last realizes the success of his dream.
4. Construct Success
Castle of success is not built in air. It needs a layout plan. It needs skilled hands to do foundation work, erect walls brick by brick and further lock walls with a roof. Construction of castle of success is a team work of Self, Strategic planning, Hard work, Patience and Perseverance.
5. Don’t listen to ‘nay’ sayers
On the way to success, one is likely to come across scores of people who would discourage one. Don’t heed on their mischievous advice. Commenting on such people, Mark Twain says:
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambition. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.
6. Don’t be afraid of failures
Fear of failures deters success-seeker the most. No one is born learned or perfect. Before learning to ride bicycle, a learner falls many times. But after each falls, he stands up again with a strong will to ride. This will power teaches him to ride bicycle. Don’t be scared of failures. Look at the causes of failures. Nothing happens without a cause. Commenting on failures, Winston Churchill says:
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm
Yet another writer Clement Stone says:
Failure is a lesson, a learning experience – a rung on the ladder
7. Trust Yourself
All successful people trust themselves like anything. They know well before doing something that they can do it. Nothing can stop you except you. Tom Broadley rightly says:
The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dream is you
8. Don’t wait for ‘auspicious’ time
You can reach nowhere without walking. The time when you feel like starting something is the most auspicious time. Arthur Ashe puts it rightly:
Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can
Martin Luther King Jr, elucidates further:
You don’t have to see the whole stair case, just take the first step
9. Don’t entertain negative thoughts
Weeds do grow with crops. Unsteady mind keeps hoping between negativity and positivity. Problem starts when it gets stuck in negativity and starts creating negative scenes/thoughts – one imaginary bad situation leads to worse and further to the worst. Best way to tackle negativity is to counter it with positivity. If plan A fails, there is plan B. If B fails, there is plan C. Don’t let the mind wander in the failure of plan A. The stubborn are often found ‘third time lucky’.
The celebrated writer Christopher Reeve rightly says:
So many of our dream at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable and then when we summon the will they soon become inevitable.
10. Discover winner in you
There is always a hidden winner in every one. It often comes to front in the ‘game’ of its choice where the winner is supported by strong Will, intense Desire that unleash the potential of par excellence needed to win the game. Discover the winner. James Dean puts this in his touching words:
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach . . . there are the keys that unlock the door to personal excellence.
11. Don’t imitate
Successful people don’t copy, don’t use the hackneyed path. They make their own path to success. Kapil Sharma, the renowned stand-up comedian has created his own style of comedy. While interviewing celebs, he uses witty remarks and petty jokes. He is a roaring success. All successful people have unique and unparallel identity in their field. Ralph Waldo Emerson comments:
Don’t follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
However high building, there is always room at the top. This world is your oyster, your El-dorado. Success signifies achieving the impossibilities. Stage is yours. Act on the stage in such a way that people can take notice of you, can recognize your talent, can count you as successful. Enforce and expand your success through social skills, and extend it through society, country to the world. All successful people follow this strategy. The journey of success is full circle – it begins from Self and ends in Self.
